


you've stolen my heart

by alifeofourown



Category: Justin Bieber (Musician), One Direction (Band), X Factor RPF
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 14:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/610874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alifeofourown/pseuds/alifeofourown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You guys knew when we started that there was a chance it wasn’t going to work out. It’s been fun but…I just don’t think it’s a good fit anymore.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	you've stolen my heart

“You’re pulling away,” Louis says the second Justin answers the phone and there’s not even a chance for a pointless greeting because Louis sounds pissed and this is worse than when he’s just being his usual withdrawn self because Justin knows how to handle that. He has no idea what he’s doing this time and he has to take a moment to try and stop the influx of thoughts from distracting him from the conversation.  
  
“Well hello to you too, Louis,” he replies and he keeps it in his usual tone when he talks to the boys, cheerful and yet quiet like he’s expecting Louis to bitch him out for reasons he’s sure shouldn’t be a thing.  
  
Louis cuts off the ‘how are you today?’ that Justin’s trying to say and he sounds even more angry as he says what he wanted to to the pop star. “I’m not in the mood for hellos. You’re pulling away and I want to know why.”  
  
Justin hesitates to respond, a few dozen sentences that he could answer with running through his mind but none of them sound like they’re worth telling Louis. He realised a long time ago that he doesn’t really know how to talk to the boy and despite Niall’s and Harry’s assurances that, over time, Louis would open up to him more, Justin hasn’t seen that happen. He’s never been able to get on the good side of the boy despite all the others completely loving him and no matter how many warm hugs and gentle kisses Justin seems to give him, Louis’s walls stay up and he can’t seem to break them down.  
  
“I…” Justin chews on his lip as he thinks of how to word this. “You guys knew when we started that there was a chance it wasn’t going to work out. It’s been fun but…I just don’t think it’s a good fit anymore.”  
  
“Bullshit,” Louis replies and the venom in his voice stings Justin. He can’t even imagine the look on the boy’s face right now and he’s pretty sure that he’s saying really stupid-sounding things right now. “You love them and they love you and it’s a good fit so I don’t see why the hell you’re pulling away all of a sudden.”  
  
Justin sighs quietly over the phone and he mumbles out a, “I don’t feel like I properly belong in this and I think you’ve got one too many people so I’m taking myself out of the equation. It’s better for everyone.” They both know that by everyone Justin means Louis and he can hear a retort already being formed on the other end of the line but Justin cuts him off. “I have an interview to go to. Bye, Louis,” he tells him before he ends the phone call and stares at the mobile in his hand, watching it light up almost the second the screen goes black, Louis’s name reading across the screen and Justin just switches the phone on silent and stuffs it in his pocket, not in the mood nor ready to have this conversation with the boy.  
  
They’ll miss him for a little while but they’ll go back to it being just the five of them having each other and it’ll be good for Louis because he trusts the other four. Justin was always just an intrusion in their lives, a fun new person to play with, and maybe the others fell for him a little bit but Louis didn’t and Justin’s not going to keep on playing with that strange balance there and watch Louis be friendly and loving with all the others but ice him out. He’s just a teenager and he can’t devote his life to a group of people when the one he wants to like him the most won’t seem to even give him the slightest bit of affection. It’s better for all of them, Justin decides and that’s what he keeps telling himself when he deletes Louis’s texts and voicemails without opening them.  
  
~  
  
The concert’s not as good as his usual ones and Justin feels like he’s let down the fans a bit but he really doesn’t have the energy nor the happiness to give every bit of himself to the crowd and they seemed to understand. He likes hearing his songs sung back at him, the knowledge that there’s an arena full of thousands of people that not only have spent money to see him but have devoted the time to learn his music, to know the words to serenade him with and he takes full advantage of it tonight.  
  
Someone whispers the name of the city to him a few dozen times during the show to remind him to thank the crowd, to say the generic ‘insert city here, you’ve been the best show on the tour so far’ and wait for the screaming to stop. There’s so much screaming and Justin’s not sure if he’s noticed how _annoying_ it is until today, but he has a feeling that everything’s going to annoy him right now even if it doesn’t normally.  
  
The worst part is how badly he tries not to think of those five boys who he’s forcing himself to let go of and yet he can’t get them off of his mind.  
  
When show’s done and Justin makes his way off of the stage, all he wants to do is sleep and he heads off to his dressing room to get the sweaty clothes off. Just as he turns the door handle, he feels someone push him from behind and Justin stumbles into the room, twisting around to find Louis pushing the door shut behind him and the word ‘security’ gets stuck in his throat before he can scream it out.  
  
“What are you doing here?” he asks and he looks at Louis with the strangest expression because if he remembers correctly they’re supposed to be doing a big interview tomorrow in Spain or Australia or something and Louis’s not supposed to be here and yet he is.  
  
“You made Niall cry,” Louis says as he looks at Justin. “I haven’t seen Harry smile since Monday, Zayn’s not talking to anyone and Liam’s more upset than I’ve ever seen him. Does it matter to you at all that you’re tearing them all apart because they love you so much and this is bullshit.”  
  
Justin shifts his gaze to anything but Louis for a moment and he’s trying to ignore the way that there’s actual pain at the thought of the boys he loves being upset over him but when he glances at Louis he remembers why he’s doing this, why he’s pulling away. “What about you?” he asks as he looks at Louis.  
  
“You hurt one of us, you hurt all of us,” Louis replies like that’s supposed to be a satisfactory answer and Justin shakes his head at him.  
  
“No, Louis. What about you? What do you care if I leave?”  Justin doesn’t mean for the question to come out as harsh as it does but he needs to know. After all this time he still can’t read Louis, can’t figure out what’s going on in the boy’s brain and he just needs to know how the boy thinks about him because that’s really going to be the deciding factor. After all, Louis’s part of the reason why he’s doing this in the first place.  
  
The boy in question drops his head and if Justin could see how the anger’s dissipated from his face he’d be a bit more intrigued than he is right now. He steps forward a little bit and waits for an answer, and when Louis looks up at him his face is blank. “They’re not the only ones who love you,” he says and his voice drops a little bit as he looks at Justin. “I do too.”  
  
Justin misses the sincerity in his voice, misses the way that if you look close enough Louis’s mask is starting to break and he means every word that he’s saying. “You’re just saying that to keep me from leaving,” he says and Louis tenses at the words. “Lying isn’t going to help you-“  
  
“Fuck you,” Louis snaps and Justin can see the anger in the boy’s eyes but he doesn’t say anything. “Do you honestly think I would’ve snuck out of our hotel, skipped an important interview and flown here from New Zealand to lie to you?” Justin realises that he really doesn’t know the schedule of his boyfriends as well as he thought he did because New Zealand never crossed his mind. By the time his brain actually processes what Louis said, the boy’s whipped around and has the door open to the dressing room, trying to storm his way out of there but Justin reaches forward and he grabs Louis by the wrist, holding tight.  
  
“Wait,” he says and Louis doesn’t turn around but he does stop, letting Justin tug him back out of the doorway so he can face him. “Lou, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, I didn’t think about what I was saying, what you just said to me. You just…you just told me you loved me, didn’t you?”  
  
Louis doesn’t answer him and Justin grips his wrist a little tighter like he’s afraid that Louis’s going to break away or deny it and Justin’s been waiting so long to hear Louis admit that he really does care about him that he doesn’t want to lose this. Louis doesn’t look at him but he nods a little bit and Justin bites down on his lip before he says, “Will you please say it for me?”  
  
“Will you promise to stay?” Louis counters and he looks up just in time to see Justin’s face falter a little bit and Louis isn’t sure why. He just admitted the one thing that he had been keeping back for forever from the boy and it’s the one thing that can fix all the tension in their relationship but Justin doesn’t seem happy and that’s bothering Louis. “It’s…not changing your mind, is it?” he asks slowly and untangles his wrist from Justin’s grip, pulling it away before Justin can grab him again.  
  
“I don’t doubt that you mean it,” Justin says slowly and he looks at Louis quietly. “I just…I don’t think it means that everything’s going to be okay. You held off saying that until I told you I wasn’t sure about this relationship anymore. I don’t think it’s a good thing that we keep on going like this.”  
  
“You’re such an idiot,” Louis replies and Justin just stares at him because he already knows he is. After all, he’s the one who’s pulling out of a relationship that he’s been lucky enough to fall into. It’s just that he can’t help but feel like it never meant to be, not when he’s separate from the five of the and they’re always together, not when he wasn’t certain until this point that Louis actually had any feelings for him.  
  
Justin shrugs and he looks at Louis quietly. “I guess,” he replies quietly and he looks at Louis. “But I don’t think this is going to work out and there’s no point wasting more time if-”  
  
“So is that what you think this is?” Louis replies. “Wasting time? Like we’re just a little stop on your tour of fame? I thought you loved us, not that we were just a bit of fun.”  
  
“No, Louis, I do,” he replies and Louis tugs out of his grip. “I do, I swear, I just...don’t think it’s meant to be.”  
  
“You know, I thought you were different,” Louis says quietly. “I thought you were good for us, that you wouldn’t hurt them because you loved us, but...” He shakes his head. “You’re just like everyone else, breaking people’s hearts because you’re an idiot.” He looks at Justin quietly and Justin wants to reach out to Louis, wants to fix this because he hates seeing any of them hurt but most of all Louis. He hates the fact that the man who he thought he’d never break is shattering right here in front of him. “You asked me once why I’ve never told you ‘I love you’ and I told you I didn’t want to talk about it. Well, congratulations. I think you just figured it out.”  
  
Justin moves to say something, anything, but he can’t get the words out. Louis’s just managed to make him feel like a terrible person and he knows that he should, that what he’s doing is selfish, but he can’t do this anymore. He can’t deal with the knowledge that the five of them have each other all the time and that he barely sees them, that they’re happy together and that he’s just the add-on that’s there for random holidays and off days. Justin couldn’t deal with the fact that they all had Louis and he never did.  
  
The door slams shut in front of him and he knows Louis’s gone before he even looks up. He should’ve done something to stop him, something to keep him from leaving, but he didn’t and now he regrets every bit of it, every moment since his decision to pull back, to break it off, because this doesn’t feel even remotely right. It just feels wrong and terrible, like he’s completely destroyed everything.  
  
~  
  
“You hurt him.” Justin isn’t surprised to get this call but he’s surprised at how late it comes. It’s been almost a week since the incident with Louis and he’s nearing the end of the tour, having barely talked to any of the boys since that day. He expected this phone call to come the day afterwards, if not the night of, but when his phone stayed silent except for the ‘missing you’ texts from Harry and Niall, Justin didn’t know what to think. Now, though, the phone call from Zayn’s more than enough to know that someone finally heard the details of what happened that night.  
  
“I didn’t mean to,” Justin replies and it sounds weak even to his ears.  
  
“Doesn’t matter if you meant it or not. You still did. Louis’s not like the rest of us. He puts everyone else first before he thinks about himself and he expects things to fall through so he doesn’t let himself get attached. It took us so long to make him realise that band or not, we weren’t going anywhere, and he let himself fall for you which is not an easy thing for Louis to do.” Zayn pauses to let Justin take in everything. “He said he told you he loves you,” Zayn adds and Justin tenses up at the words. “And that you thought it was just a ploy to keep you from leaving.”  
  
Justin doesn’t know what to say because initially he did. He thought that it was Louis’s way of protecting the others. “Yeah,” he mumbles before he shrugs. “I thought it was, but I didn’t realise. The situation was...”  
  
“Something that wasn’t worth you calling him a liar about,” Zayn replies. “I’ve never seen Louis this upset,” he adds as if it’s not bad enough that Justin knows what he did and that he’s been wallowing in his own misery this entire time. “He started crying last night.”  
  
“Please stop,” Justin replies. “I know I fucked up, okay? I know, but you guys are better off without me. He’s better off without me.”  
  
“You know, you’re really dumb sometimes,” Zayn tells him and he sighs. “He loves you more than any of us do, more than most people love their significant others. He just...doesn’t express that love because he’s afraid of opening up and people leaving, which apparently he didn’t even have to do this time around. Just...don’t give up on him now. Don’t give up on us.”  
  
It takes everything that Justin has not to cancel the night of his tour just to fly out to see them, to fix this because the little conversation that he’s just had with Zayn has shown Justin just how much he needs all of them in his life. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly into the phone and Zayn sighs quietly.  
  
“Don’t apologise to me. Just fix it. And answer Harry and Niall’s texts, would you? They’re moping.” Zayn hangs up before he says anything else and Justin sighs a bit as he looks at the phone in his hand, trying to decide what to do before he texts Harry and Niall, not even remotely certain what to do about his situation with Louis.  
  
~  
  
“Why’re you moping about, Lou?” Louis glances up from where he’s been staring at his mug of tea for the past half hour, letting it get cold, to see Lottie standing in the doorway to the living room. “You’ve not even been home for a day and you’re miserable. Missing the boys already?”  
  
Louis shakes his head quietly. “Something else, Lot,” he mumbles. “But it’s not a big deal. I’ll get over it.” He offers her a smile and sets the mug of tea aside, scooting over on the couch so that she can come sit next to him. “Wanna watch a movie with me?”  
  
“Depends. Can we watch _Love, Actually_?” she asks and Louis rolls his eyes a bit before he nods. “Good!” She pops the movie into the player and Louis listens to her as she talks about her favourite couples in the movie and how she watched this with her friends the other week when they were in Australia, finishing up their press tour. Louis doesn’t pay much attention to the film other than to comment that the singer’s his favourite because he gives no fucks, and instead focuses on the way that Lottie seems to be enjoying his company more than usual.  
  
He’s pulled out of the lazy haze of watching the movie when he hears a knock at the door and he moves to get it but Fizzy appears from the kitchen with a, “I’ve got it.” Louis nods a little and he ruffles Lottie’s hair to distract her from the scene with the man who holds up cards to his best friend’s new wife.  
  
“Lou!” she whines and Louis laughs a little bit as he starts tickling her, feeling a little bit better now that he’s messing with his sister like usual. She squeaks and squirms out of his grip, launching herself to the other side of the couch and Louis crawls after her to attack again when he hears Fizzy call for him and pauses.  
  
“There’s a pop star at the door desperate to speak to you,” she says and Louis blinks a little bit before he glances up at her, catching an excited grin on her face. “Wouldn’t keep him waiting if I was you.”  
  
Louis sighs and he climbs off of the couch, heading over to the door and he freezes when he sees Justin standing there, coat zipped up tightly around him and scarf too big and fluffy for him. “What do you want?” he snaps and Justin looks at him quietly.  
  
“I’m sorry.” Justin looks at Louis and he waits for permission to step through the doorway before Louis steps aside. “I...you were right. I’m an idiot and I never should’ve thought that what I was doing was a good idea.” Louis listens to him quietly and he bites down on his lip. “I love you, Louis, and I know you love me too, and I was an idiot when I thought that pulling away was a good idea because I can’t live without you guys in my life, and I can’t live with the knowledge that I hurt you.”  
  
“Why do you care?” Louis replies and Justin bites back a sigh.  
  
“Because I love you,” he repeats. “I love you so much that I don’t want to imagine a life without you, without any of you guys, and I know I was utter shit to you and I’m sorry.”  
  
Louis stares at Justin and he doesn’t know what to say. He didn’t expect Justin to come all the way here just to apologise, didn’t expect him to come apologise at all, and now that he’s here Louis’s a little overwhelmed. “This doesn’t mean I forgive you,” he says quietly as he looks at Justin and the boy instantly nods because he knew and expected that. “I...you can stay, though. Lottie and I are watching _Love, Actually_ , if you want to join us for the end of it.”  
  
He watches as Justin fumbles with his coat, peels it off and Louis takes it to hang it up in the front closet. Louis hesitates for a moment before he offers Justin his hand and he can tell that was a good move because Justin beams and takes it before he follows Louis into the living room.  
  
Lottie glances up from the TV to see which member of One Direction her brother’s dragging along with her and her mouth drops a little bit when she spots Justin. “Oh my god,” she says and it comes out in a choked squeal. “I- he’s...he’s here! In our living room!” She jumps up from the couch and runs over, poking at the boy until he starts laughing. “He’s real too!”  
  
“Lottie, behave,” Louis says behind a chuckle and Justin adds that it’s alright because Lottie’s still poking at him.  
  
“But Justin Bieber’s in our living room,” she says and it comes out more like a scream so Louis drops Justin’s hand and covers her mouth with his.  
  
“Hush, Lots,” he says and he nudges her back over to the couch. “We’re watching a movie, not at a meet and greet. Besides, it’s not like you’re not used to this.”  
  
Lottie bites at his hand until Louis drops it and she says, “Yeah, but I’ve only talked to him on the phone. I’ve never met him, and it’s _Justin Bieber_ , Louis!”  
  
“Hi,” Justin says with a laugh and he waves at Lottie who seems to sway a little at the attention. “I’m Justin, and I’m really not all that special, but it’s good to meet you, Lottie.”  
  
“He just said my name,” Lottie says dreamily and Louis rolls his eyes before picks her up over his shoulder and she squeals before he  drops her onto the couch. “Louis, is this a dream?”  
  
A bright laugh escapes Louis’s lips and he drops down next to her, leaving a spot for Justin, who sits down next to him after a minute. “Yeah, Lots. It’s a dream, now go back to sleep.” She pokes at Louis until he pins her down with an elbow and tells her to hush as he points to the TV where they’re getting ready for the school play. “Pay attention to your movie, love.”  
  
Lottie huffs and she leans back against the couch, stealing glances at Justin throughout the rest of the movie, and both Louis and Justin notice but neither of them comment on it. Justin’s hand is back in Louis’s, holding quietly to him and Louis smiles a little bit at how surprisingly comfortable he feels with Justin, how it feels different than all the other times. By the final scene, he’s leaning against Justin and the boy’s got an arm wrapped around his shoulders.  
  
“I love you,” Justin whispers into his ear and Louis smiles quietly.  
  
“I..love you too.” Justin smile has never been brighter, and when he leans in to kiss Louis, he’s practically beaming.  
  
The kiss feels magical, fresh and new and loving, and Louis would’ve loved it to last forever if not for-  
  
“God, Lou. Would you stop stealing all the pretty celebrities?”  
  
Louis pulls back from the kiss and he laughs a little as he presses his face into Justin’s shoulder and Justin wraps his arms around Louis before he glances over at Lottie and smiles. “Sorry, but come here and I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek to be fair.  
  
When Lottie practically screams and runs over, Louis laughs, and when she moves her cheek last minute to catch Justin in a proper kiss...well...  
  
Louis locks her in her room for the rest of the night.


End file.
